Piano-action.



S. R. PERRY.

- PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION IILED mmz, 1904 Patented Oct. 6, 1908.,

s SHEETS-SHBBT 1.

WITNESSES; f 7 M //v VENTOl-Z THE NORRIS PETERS co., wAsumamm-n c,

S. R. PERRY.

PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1904.

900,305. Patented 001;. 6, 1908.

WITNE-SES I //v vavroe rm: "gums PETERS co., WASHINGTON, u. u.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

S. R. PERRY.

PIAI IO ACTION. ATION FILED JAN.2,'1904 Patented Oct. 6,:1908.

WITNESSES.

SAMUEL R. PERRY, OF SGRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIANO-ACTION.

Application filed. January 2, 1904. Serial No. 187,408.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Piano-Actions, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate more particularly to grand piano actions, but with some modifications are applicable to upright piano actions and have for their object 1st, to provide a hammer-butt so made as to allow of ample under surface for the operation of the jack, and also allowing the hammershank to be made its greatest possible length. 2d to provide means to adjust the jacks under the hammer-butt s, whereby the keys may be made heavy or light to the touch as desired. 3d to provide the damper mechanism of the action with an arm reaching from the damper block to the keys, by means of which the keys may be made shorter than in ordinary grand actions now in use, and each key together with its corresponding jack and auxiliary parts may be taken out of its position on the key frame or replaced thereon, at will. 4th to provide a back checking device and a regulating device one of which may be attached to the key and the other to the hammer-butt by means of which the hammer in its retraction from the strings is held in check by the direct action of the key.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a grand piano action embodying the improvements herein set forth, the action being in its normal position of rest. Fig. 2, the same after a stroke has been made and the key held down. Fig. 3 shows the post upon which the jack rests and the post or rod carrying the back check block, secured to the jack rocker. Fig. 4 shows the jack of an upright piano action supported in position by the post, and Fig. 5 shows the blocks used in back checking the hammers, their positions reversed as compared with Figs. 1 and 2.

Similar letters and figures refer to similar parts in the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a grand piano action in which 1 is the key, 2 the jack rocker to which the jack 3 is hinged, '4 is the hammer butt. 5 is an arm attached to and extending downwardly from the hammer-butt 4, preferably made of wire. The lower end of the wire which enters the block 6 is threaded, so that the block 6 may be adj usted up or down to form a contact with the back check block 7. The block 7 is held in place on the key 1 by means of the wire post 8.

9 is a wire spoon which is secured into the block 7. It serves as a support for the jack 3 when the action is at rest also shown in Fig. 3 where it is secured to the jack rocker, and in Fig. 4 attached to the jack lever. The wire spoon 9 may be bent back or forward so that the upper end of jack 3 will rest under the cushioned surface a of the hammerbutt 4 in any desired position. If the wire 9 is bent inwardly toward the jack 3 the upper end of the jack will assume a position farther away from the hammerbutt center 10, and the touch of the keys will be light because of the leverage gained but if bent outwardly away from the jack, the jack will rest nearer to the center 10, and the touch of the keys will be heavy because the leverage is less. The same holds good as to bending the spoon in the upright action Fig. 4.

The hammerbutt 4 which is-connected to the rail 11 by means of the flange 12 is made with a portion extending under the hammershank 13. The extended portion is made so that it assumes the lines I) and c of an acute angle, the upper line b lying parallel to and under the hammer-shank 13, and the under line 0 at an angle to the hammer-shank. This form of hammerbutt allows the hammer-shank to be made its greatest possible length, and also allows enough space on the under side of the hammerbutt to a'liord considerable adjustment of the jack. The under surface 0 is suitably cushioned a, and forms the straight surface upon which the upper end of the jack 3 operates. The cushion a is carried beyond the end of the hammerbutt, in order that it may act as a cushion between the upper end of the jack and the under side of the hammer-shank when the hammer rebounds from the string, as shown by Fig. 2.

14 is the rail suitably cushioned, upon which the hammer-shanks 13 rest when in their normal positions.

15 are the strings upon which the damper blocks 16 rest.

17 is the wire connecting the damper block 16 with the suspended Reight blocks 18. The arms d, d, jointed to the weight 'blocks 18 are attached to the rail 19 by means of the flanges c, 6. These arms d, d, compel the block 18, the wire 17, damper block 16, and arm 20 to move upward in a straight line. The arm 20, which is preferably made of stout wire, is driven into the block 18 and operated upon by the inner end of key 1.

21 is the foot of the jack 3, which in its upward movement comes in contact with the regulating button 22, adj ustably attached to the rail 23 by the screw eye 24.

25 is a spring attached to the rocker 2 extending upward to a connection with a loop 26 of flexible material secured to the jack 3. The spring serves to hold and return the jack 3 to its position on the adjustable post 9 and the under side of the hammerbutt.

The operation of the action is as follows When the key 1 is pressed down the back end of the key is raised, carrying with it all its attachments, such as the rocker 2, jack 3, spring 25, posts 8 and 9 and back check block 7. When the hammer .head 27 has reached within one-quarter of an inch of the strings, the foot 21 of the jack 3 comes in contact with the button 22 on the rail 23 and the jack still under the impulse of the key, moves away from under the hammerbutt cushion a. This movement of the jack allows the hammer 27 to recede from the strings until the block 6 comes in contact with the back check block 7, which contact checks and holds the hammer ready for another stroke. Meantime the inner end of the key 1 has come in contact with the arm 20 and lifted the weight block 18, the wire 17 and the damper block 16 from oil' the strings 15, allowing the strings to vibrate freely. The damper mechanism has been carried up in a perpendicular line by means of the arms (Z, (Z, moving in parallel lines to each other. The arms (Z, (Z, attached to the rail 19 by means of the flanges c, 0, hold the damper head 16 in place without recourse to other guides or stays. The action is now in. posi tion as shown by Fig. 2. When the key is released the spring 25 tends to replace the upper end'of the jack under the hammerbutt and. against the post 9. The back-check block 7 releases the block 6 and all parts resume their normal positions.

It will be noticed that the keys used for grand piano action as shown by Figs. 1 and 2, do not reach any farther under the action than is necessary to hold the jacks in place and to cooperate with the arms reaching from the damper mechanism; the keys are made short to allow of their being readily removed from the key frame or replaced thereon, and as the key and hammer mechanism is sepa' rate from the damper mechanism, it is only necessary to remove the hammer to take out the key and its corresponding parts. The post 9 may be screwed into the jack rocker 2 as shown in Fig. 3; or it may be fastened into the jack lever 2 as shown by Fig. 4. The object of the post or spoon is to adjust and hold the jack 3 in any position under the hammerbutt and by this adjustment make the touch of the key heavy or light as desired.

The post 8 carrying the back cheek block 7 may be screwed or driven into the key through a hole in the jack rocker 2 as shown by dotted lines Fig. 1, but it may also be fastened into the jack rocker 2 as shown by Fig. 8. As shown by Figs. 1 and 2 the art justing device 6 may be attached to the hammer-butt and the checking device 7 to the key, or to reverse the order, the adjusting device 6 may be carried by the key and the checking device 7 by the hammer-butt as shown by Fig. 6. I prefer to check the hammer in its rebound from the strings as shown by Fig. 5.

The bar 28 hinged to the key bottom (Fig. 1) is made the length of a set of weight blocks 18. When the foot pedal 29 is pressed it moves up the pitman 30 and the bar 28 to a contact with the weight blocks as shown by Fig. 2, by which means the damper heads 16 are moved from oil" the strings in a body and the instrument sounds at its full capacity.

Having thus fully described my invention, I make the following claims:

1. In a piano action the combination of the hammer-head, its shank, the shank substantially horizontal and the hammenbutt, the hammer-butt so formed that a portion extends beyond its connection with the hammer-shank toward the hammer-head, the upper line of said portion running under the hammer shank parallel thereto and the under line of said portion forming an acute angle with said upper line, substantially as set forth.

2. In a piano action the combination of the hammer, its shank, the shank substantially horimntal the hammer-butt, and the key, the hammer-butt provided with an arm reaching dmvnward toward the key, said arm carrying a back checking block, an arm attached to the key and provided with an adjusting device, the adjusting device and the back checking block adapted to contact one with the other upon the upward movement of the key and the retraction of the hammer from the strings, substantially as set forth.

3. In a piano action the combination of the hammer, its shank, the shank substantially horizontal the hammer-butt, the key, the jack and the regulating button, the hammer-butt provided with an arm reaching downward toward the key, said arm carrying a back checking block, an arm attached to the key and provided-with an adjusting device, the adjusting device and the back checking block adapted to contact one with the other upon the upward movement of the key and the retraction of the hammer from the strings, substantially as set forth.

4. In a piano action the combination of the hammer, its shank, and the hammerbutt, the piano key, the piano key carrying the jack, the jack, an adjustable post as 9, said post adapted to contact with the jack substantially as set forth.

5. In a piano action the combination of the hammer-head, its shank, the shank substantially horizontal and the hammer-butt, the hammer-butt so formed that a portion extends beyond its connection with the hammer-shank toward the hammer-head, the upper line of said portion running under the hammer-shank parallel thereto and the under line of said portion forming an acute angle with the said upper line, the jack, the piano key, an adjustable post adapted to hold the jack at various positions under the hammer-butt whereby the touch of the piano key may be varied, substantially as set forth.

6. In a piano action the combination of the hammer, the hammer shank, the hammer shank substantially horizontal, the hammer butt and the jack, the underside of the hammer butt formed at an obtuse angle to the hammer shank, said underside of the hammer-butt clothed with a cushion and the cushion extending beyond the hammer butt along the under side of the hammer shank, for the purpose as shown and described.

7. In a piano action the combination of the hammer-head, its shank, and the hammer-butt, the jack, the piano key, an adjustable post adapted to hold the jack at various positions under the hammerbutt, whereby the touchof the piano key may be varied, substantially as set forth.

8. A piano .action each section of which comprises a hammer head and its shank, the shank substantially horizontal, the hammerbutt provided with an arm extending downward approximately at right angles to the shank, a hammer moving mechanism comprising a key, a spring controlled jack mounted on the key, a regulating button adapted to trip the jack, the key provided with an arm extending upward toward the hammer-butt, a back check block and an adjusting block, said blocks secured to said arms in position opposite to each other and adapted to engage each other when the key is fully depressed, a damper, a damper mechanism controlling the damper and an arm extending from the damper mechanism to contact with the key, substantially as set forth.

9. In a piano action the combination of a hammer head, its shank, the shank substantially horizontal, the hammer butt, a spring controlled jack and a jack tripping device, a key, the jack mounted on the key, an arm attached to the hammer butt and extending downward toward the key, an arm attached to the key and extending upward toward the hammer-butt, a back checking block and an adjusting block, said blocks being carried on said arms in position to engage one another when the key is fully depressed, substantially as set forth.

10. In a piano action the combination of a hammer head and its shank, the shank substantially horizontal, a hammer-butt, the under side of the hammer-butt formed in a straight line at an obtuse angle to the forward part of the hammer-shank, a springpressed jack, a tripping device engaging the jack, a key, the jack mounted on the key, an arm extending upward from the key and an arm extending downward from the hammer butt, an adjusting block and a back checking block, said blocks carried on said arms in position to engage one another when the key is fully depressed, substantially as set forth.

11. In a piano action the combination of a hammer head and its shank, the shank substantially horizontal, a hammer butt, a spring pressed jack engaging the hammer butt a tripping device engaging the jack, a key, an arm extending upward from the key and an arm extending downward from the hammerbutt, an adjusting block and a back checking block, said blocks carried on said arms in position to engage one another when the key is fully depressed, substan tially as set forth.

12. In a piano action the combination of a hammer head and its shank, the shank substantially horizontal, a hammer-butt, a key, an arm extending upward from the key, and an arm extending downward from the hammer butt, an adjusting block and a back checking block, said blocks carried on said arms in position to engage one another when the key is fully depressed, substantially as set forth.

SAMUEL R. PERRY. Witnesses:

GEO. W. POWER, IRA ORR. 

